Grateful for our
good old NHS

COMMENT: Government needs to dig deep to find extra cash

Folks, I do have a proclivity (oooer missus) for operating my mouth before putting my brain into gear.

As soon as I open my mail and I don’t like what I’m reading, whoosh! I shoot straight from the lip.

‘Huh, they can stuff that,’ I say.

You see, ever since I became an old ducky with type two diabetes, I get a constant flow of NHS letters for all sorts of tests. Blood tests, eye tests and the ‘post the poo’ test.

I do nothing but moan about having to do these tests.

Then last week I was watching BBC 1’s Panorama programme Poor America online.

Fifty million Americans don’t have health insurance, so have to pay for healthcare.

One man needed emergency treatment costing $20,000 (£12,500), or he could lose a leg through gangrene. He didn’t have the money to pay.

It was a harrowing programme to watch.

In a secret location, up to 1,000 Americans queued through the night for a charity that gave free medical care the next day. Can you imagine that, folks ?

In 2009 President Obama promised Americans a health service similar to our NHS. It still hasn’t happened.

In the UK David Cameron is trying to push through the Health and Social Care Bill.

We are told that it will bring competition and choice to the NHS and improve care for patients. Yeah, right.

Our free NHS may not be that free if the bill comes in.

If you decide the NHS, even with the odd glitch, is OK as it is and you don’t want to risk, allegedly, charges coming in, some doctors cherrypicking their patients and some services being terminated, then make sure you have your say.

Sign the petition to withdraw the Bill at epetitions.direct.org.uk/petitions/22670

And as for me?

Well, I need to stop my moaning and take advantage of all those free tests we’re fortunate to have available to us in this country.